It's interesting how the two issues we're discussing can be so obscured and misunderstood. For instance, the Wayne Dyer types seem to cull a huge amount of their following from the way New Age offerings cater to our narcissitic needs. And so it is quite appealing to have one's narcissism dressed up as a form of high-minded aspiration where all needs are met, etc . . . OTOH, I've also seen many people from fundamentalist churches appeal to notions of the devil and of evil as a way of splitting off from the shame they carry in their families; IOW, calling certain very human experiences "evil" in order to avoid the sort of individual vulnerabilities that would offend the codependency/kinship ties within the family with questions about whether real love is being exchanged or not.

But as I said, I do have several experiences of evil that truly seemed to be invasive, loathsome entities outside of my own organism. I wouldn't want to encounter those again, regardless of what their true metaphysical origins are.

Jesus seemed to deal with both woundedness and demonic possession, able to differentiate them, which shows how evolved a soul must be to traffic safely between these perilous territories. In fact, in may be beyond the human faculties to manage these entities, which seems to be the cousels of the saints. And that in itself should sober us up a bit about the nature of K and how important it is to look beyond it to God and the Holy Spirit for its safe containment.

Nothing I've posted is inaccurate and can be supported through all kinds of resources, from academic research and literature to other written personal accounts, both within and external to the Christian healing community.

I think the operationl word is inapplicable. Obviously, I have addressed issues that the prior poster finds inapplicable to her spiritual process, but that is what this forum is about, picking out what is needed in terms of guidance that's offered. Everyone is entitled to their point of view and of course, our views are shaped by our personal experiences. Moreover, nothing that I've posted is harmful in anyway at any point along the Christian spiritual walk, as the prior poster implies, particularly in terms of spiritual development. In fact, what of much I expouse is very much in step with Christian spiritual development. Its up to the participants to discern what applies to their own situation.

As for the St John of the Cross reference, could someone please enlighten me?

I think of these boards as more information directed than heart felt messages. Though I do think there is a great deal of good will involved on the part of many participants in both giving information and serving up examples about potential problems they may have experienced in their Christian walk, particularly concerning the K, as a result of making ill informed or mis informed decisions. I also add, with complete confidence and spiritual authority, that anyone going to Hindu healers, disturbed by siddha energies or shamanistic power animals, is not on a very solid Christian walk. The latter two are well known symptoms of deep spiritual bondage to demonic energies and incredibly hard to become liberated from. It is not just a simply a matter of will, or a blase "I think I'm not going to cultivate these." To overcome these energies takes both grace from God, prayer and knowledge and adherence to Christian spiritual warfare. Christ came to liberate us from such darkness. Comparing such "symptoms" to Phil's pranic energy blocks is completely absurd.

If someone like the prior poster finds such information damaging, then that person is walking in complete deception. My information is well supported within many denominations of the Christian healing community, not to mention the bible. May Christ led you into the truth.

Sue, it looks like you've gotten the feedback you came looking for, so that's good. I'm not sure why the naming of some of your experiences as siddha powers is helpful to you, so perhaps you could say more about that if you'd like.

I'd like to second Linda's points that the feedback she and w.c. have offered isn't potentially dangerous, damaging or ill-informed. I'm also sure that they meant well in their efforts to interact with you. As with all feedback, however, you can take what you find helpful and just ignore the rest.

Sue:

I hope it's clear to you that this forum isn't a formal setting for spiritual direction. Phil is trained to provide this, and perhaps others I'm not aware of. For more personalized and careful spiritual counsel, you could arrange to speak with Phil by phone, since I believe he makes himself available in this way. Here at Shalom we mostly just share our experiences and opinions (including biases), however sound or deeply rooted in traditional wisdom they may or may not be. I'm certainly not qualified to provide spiritual direction, but do have a history struggling with K, along with devotional practices and a background in counseling. But again, I don't communicate with people here on the forum as though they were my clients. I do talk about topics with as much depth as I can muster, but the interaction, apart from being polite, isn't made with any personal knowledge of the other people posting.

I guess I'd rather post something irrelevant to your purposes than leave something unsaid that might have potential value. I'm comfortable with that approach, trusting that since we're all adults we can pick out the wheat from the chaff.

I wish you the best on your journey. Your welcome to drop back in as far as I'm concerned, since criticisms in one from or another are apart of the critical thinking we try to bring to our discussions.

And thank you Sue, your postings have given me the motivation to read through a bunch of academic and medical studies regarding bioenergy healing, which is certainly an expanding discipline, and one that this board as addressed in various threads, including the one you initiated re energy cords.

I would never want to be in the position of putting limitations in how healing works, or how Jesus can use any person or situation for His good. Bioenergy healing as a discipline, as far as the secular sources I've been looking at, doesn't even allude to various spiritual paths as a source of the energy, it is all of "God," so to speak. I had a foot in the energy healing world that isn't Christian that directly led to my K imbalance as a result of my ignorance, due to lack of real info about bio energy healing and a spiritual walk as a source of that energy, and the ministrations of ego-centered practioners. So I'm completely conservative about these energies.

But now that I've seen how this discpline has been evolving over the past decade, I have to say there is an element of it that works in the sense that if I have an energy block, I can go to a bioenergy specialist who may be able to quickly address it, open the energy channel ect, that will trigger a greater healing. Just as I would go to a chiropractor or a dentist for a back or tooth problem. I know they have the techniques and I'm not particularly worried about their respective spiritual beliefs, I'm just there for their expertise to fix my physical problem. Perhaps bioenergy healing can also be addressed this way. A person going to a practioner can only judge the nature of the healing from the fruits of the session, that's seems the litmus test, just as I wouldn't be returning to a dentist or chiro who was unable to fill my cavity or adjust my back. Of course, I am in a general healing prayer as a Christian, but I also go to a dentist when I need to, I don't just pray over a tooth problem.

How the spiritual element eventually comes into play depends on the person sinvolved, I think as well as the practioner's approach to their discipline. So my final attitude towards all of this is that is very much a process of individual discernment. The Hindu healer may have been a great vessel of energy to encourage your healing, Sue, just as my going to a yoga class a couple of times a week and chanting a few minutes of a Hindu prayer with the class as part of it is a good way for me to keep fit. I hardly consider this some demonic infiltration of my Christian walk.

So I was too quick to judge. Phil's balanced approach about how various techniques of eastern spiritual paths, for example, (and perhaps I should add here, bioenergy influence) may alter a person's mind/body/spirit connection to God is probably the core issue. One can employ various tools, but I guess the point is not to invade the dominion of Christ on any of those levels and pray for discernment every step of the way.

Your post is a good example of real dialogue, Linda, and it seems to bring a nice closure to this recent exchange.

BTW, we've been pretty far off the thread topic lately; I think we've left that book behind long ago. It kind of seems right to close the thread now, as it's also getting pretty long. Anyone have any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace. (A new thread on a similar topic could be started, of course).

What book?